The Italian Policy For Seismic Microzonation

After the first pioneering Seismic Microzonation (SM) studies carried out in the aftermath of the strongest Italian earthquakes in 1976, 1980, 1997, 1998 and 2002, to support the relevant reconstruction processes, the "Guidelines for Seismic Microzonation" (GSM08 2015) were released in 2008 by the Civil Protection Department (CPD) and the Conference of Italian Regions. The Guidelines not only inform on how SM studies aimed at identifying and characterize the different microzones should be carried out, but also on how SM outcomes should be used for territory management, emergency planning, post-earthquake reconstruction and structural design. According to GSM08, SM studies may be carried out at various levels of growing complexity and commitment, from level 1 to level 3. After the 2009 Abruzzo (L'Aquila) earthquake, almost one billion euro in seven years were allocated for a National Plan for Seismic Prevention to be set up by CPD in the Italian territory with seismic hazard characterized by ag >= 0.125g. The plan has invested about 10% of the total fund in the SM of municipalities and in the evaluation of the seismic resilience of their urban emergency systems (Emergency Limit Condition - ELC). This investment enables about half of Italian municipalities to be endowed with SM - at least level 1 - and ELC. Finally, in order to assist the reconstruction process in the areas damaged by the 2016-17 Central Italy seismic sequence, the Italian Government allocated the funds needed for the level 3 SM studies complying with GSM08 of the 138 municipalities affected by the earthquake. The present paper describes the main challenges and achievements of SM in Italy.